I’m so excited to share an excerpt from Week 3 of THE GOD I NEVER KNEW, a small group Bible study written by my friend Erin Mcleod!
When I sit down and think about this topic, I feel equally confused and satisfied all at the same time. After breaking down how I view God, I realize that it’s very easy to imagine Jesus as a person. I think it’s safe to assume we can all agree that He literally was a human being. We refer to God as, “God, the Father”. All of our fathers are people, so thinking of God as a person is fathomable. Knowing that, it feels right to think of the Holy Spirit as a person, yet almost safer to think of Him as a force. Why does it feel a little scary to think of the untapped immense power that the Holy Spirit could provide us? If I think of the Holy Spirit as a force, I don’t have to reconcile the magnitude of Him being God, therefore the power that I have living within me. It makes me wonder that if we really understood what was living inside of us, would we fold, or run to Him?
I once heard our relationships with God described as being invited to a huge mansion. I’ve been to the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC twice in my life. Once when I was younger and once about three years ago. When I was a child, I remember being pretty fascinated at first but after about the 7th bedroom, I’d lost almost all interest. Obviously, I didn’t have the self awareness as a 10 year old to know why I became so bored, but after thinking about it in preparation to write this paragraph, I think it was because I couldn’t fathom a life living in such a large “home.” I didn’t relate to the experience of living in a billion dollar mansion and became disinterested. How many of us get disinterested and almost bored in our relationships with God because we can’t wrap our minds around the magnitude? This is what happens when we view the Holy Spirit as a force. It creates a disconnect, because we can’t have a relationship with a God that we don’t relate to.
In college, I heard a sermon about the power of God. The speaker repeated over and over, “if you’re paying attention, I’m teaching you power.” He said when we get saved, God invites us to come live in His house. This isn’t an ordinary house, it’s a freaking huge house. My memory immediately went back to the biggest house I’ve ever seen, the Biltmore House. Upon salvation, God invites us to His immaculate home with gold furnishings and ornamental fancy wallpaper. We walk into this grand entrance through a 30 foot tall doorway and enter into the foyer. Our eyes widen, our hearts start racing, and feelings of thankfulness, gratitude and joy overwhelm us. We swing our arms wide and spin around like children because God saved us! We are HIS! Before we know it, we stop spinning, our eyes return to normal, our heart stops racing, and we’ve spent 5 years in the foyer of God’s house. Can you imagine going to the Biltmore House and never leaving the foyer? First of all, what a waste of money, because that trip ain’t cheap! Secondly, and most importantly, you’re missing out on the full experience. God is ready for us to meet Him in every room, but we have to be willing to step out of the safety of the foyer to do so.
Salvation is step one and I think most believers get stuck in step one. We recognize the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross but never fully embrace the power of the Holy Spirit. Now, please do not hear what I’m not saying. I have no intention of downplaying the sacrifice and crucifixion of Christ. I simply want us to consider what it would look like to say “Yes and Amen,” and leave the foyer. Jesus tells us in John 14:2 that in His Father’s house, there are many rooms, and we are welcome to explore every hall alongside the Holy Spirit, but the first step is recognizing and believing the Holy Spirit is a person. The Spirit is the more intimate part of God and we have constant access to Him. Let’s use this week to really think and reflect on what our lives would look like if we started talking to the Holy Spirit, asking Him for help, tapping into His power, and cultivating a personal relationship with Him.
I hope you enjoyed this excerpt by Erin and were challenged as much as I have been to explore the presence of the Holy Spirit!
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With love,
Payton